The number of persons who stated that their religion is Islam was 32,500 in April 2006, up by nearly 70 per cent compared with 2002 and continuing the growth observed between 1991 and 2002. Muslims are now the third largest religious group in the State, behind Catholics and Church of Ireland (incl. Protestant). Just over 55 per cent of Muslims were either Asian or African nationals with 30.7 per cent having Irish nationality.
This information is contained in Census 2006 Volume 13 - Religion, which gives further detailed results of the census conducted on 23 April 2006. This report contains the final population figures classified by religion for detailed territorial divisions in the country (see Editor's note).
Over 90 percent of the Irish, Polish and Maltese nationals in the State on Census Night were Catholics, illustrating a link between certain nationalities and religions. Other largely Catholic nationalities were Philippinos (84.4 percent), Lithuanians (82.4 percent) and Italians (79.1 percent). 97.3 percent of Pakistani nationals were Muslims, while Greek and
Cypriot nationals were predominately Orthodox (70.1 and 66.7 percent respectively). Three quarters of Chinese nationalsand 58.2 percent of Czechs had no religion.
The rate of participation in voluntary activities by non-Catholic Christians was well above the national average. One in four Methodists and one in five Church of Ireland (incl. Protestants) and Presbyterians took part in voluntary work compared
with one in six Catholics.
Of the 544,000 people involved in voluntary activities, 140,000 (25.7%) did voluntary work with a religious group or church.
94.2 percent of Muslims and 91.6 percent of Orthodox were enumerated in urban areas, compared with 60.7 percent of the population as a whole. At the other end of the scale, the religions with the highest rural proportions were Presbyterians (48.4 percent rural) and Church of Ireland (incl. Protestant) with 47.1 per cent in rural areas.
Of the towns with a population of 5,000 and over, Cavan and Killarney had the highest proportion of Muslims with 3.2 percent and 3.0 percent respectively. Greystones (9.8%) had the highest proportion of Church of Ireland (including Protestant) adherents followed by Wicklow (5.3%) and Malahide (4.7%).
The publication Census 2006 - Principal Demographic Results, released on, 29 March 2007, contains a summary at State level of data from Volumes 1-6, 9 and 13 of the detailed census. The publication released today, Volume 13, provides figures for religion at a more detailed geographical level.
All published tables from Census 2006 are being made available on the CSO web site (www.cso.ie).
Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork. 021- 4535011
or
Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.
Price: €15 [Copies can also be downloaded from the CSO website (see below)].
Shaun McLaughlin on 01-895 1474 or Deirdre Cullen on 01-895 1334.
Central Statistics Office, Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.
Census Enquiries: (01) 895 1460/61/63/66
Fax: (01) 895 1399
E-mail: census@cso.ie
Internet: www.cso.ie
29 November 2007
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